Wings of Massacre
by Vincent Kemper
Summary: A crossover of the worlds of Final Fantasy VII and VIII. Featuring new characters and several returning old ones, follow the journey as the story unfolds... Please R/R!
1. It Begins

It happened, just the same as it always had before, yet something seemed different

_It happened, just the same as it always had before, yet something seemed different. I was far away from my brothers, but I knew that they were on this world. _

_I could sense power emanated from the world and the people on it. These powers were scattered all across the planet. Even amongst them, I could sense my brothers and the locations they presided over. If what I thought was true, then they would have no memory until I found them. _

_I only hope that I can get to them before the power in them corrupts their minds._

XXX,

Wind opened his eyes, staring at the cold stone floor as he gathered his bearings. Yushara and Penton were far from him and that very thought chilled him. Though they once used to be an individual being, Wind was the center of all of the memories and without his presence; his two brothers had no memory.

Wind stood up slowly, noting that his clothing was different from what he had been wearing in the previous life. He was now wearing a pair of faded blue jeans and a black short sleeve shirt, along with a pair of motorcycle boots with circular harnesses on the sides. He could see that his jeans were tucked perfectly into the boots and the leather stopped just under his thigh.

He quickly pulled his jeans out of the black leather as he looked around the room he was in. It was the typical hideout that he was usually stuck with; four concrete walls, thick enough to mask his power inside the room, which was around twenty square feet. A single light was hanging from the ceiling, the glow illuminating the entire room. There was a sink, stove and refrigerator nestled in one corner, all in very dingy condition. In the corner opposite of the 'kitchen' was a single twin bed in pretty decent condition. In the final corner was a simple curtain, which Wind figured housed the toilet and shower.

There was a coat stand next to the door of the windowless hideout, his black leather trench coat hanging on it along with a black cloth trench coat that he had never seen before. He pondered for a moment before opening the fridge door to see the contents. Like always it was empty, save for a carton of milk and a half filled container of white rice.

He slammed the door shut and stepped over to the stand, his boots clacking on the stone floor. He scooped up the cloth jacket and put it on, feeling the heavy weight come down on his body. He felt a slight bulge in the inside pocket, Wind knowing that it was most likely his handgun, a Colt .45 semi-automatic with a thirteen round magazine. It gave him a reassuring feeling that this world still had ballistic weapons, but it also made him wonder where his part of the Murasame was at.

He opened the door after removing the gun from his pocket and taking the holster that came with it and setting it up on his belt for quick access. Bright light flooded the room, blinding Wind for a brief moment.

As his eyes adjusted to the bright natural light, he saw that his little hut was tucked away in the middle of the woods. It was around the end of the summer season for this area, so the temperature was beginning to drop.

He could sense where the most populous amount of people was concentrated at, so he did the simplest thing he could do. He began to walk in the direction it was all coming from.

XXX

It was another bleak day in the city of Timber, the dark clouds settling in to block out the sun. The trains were rolling through the town, but one was slowing to a stop, a train that was rolling in from Midgar. The train's brakes screeched as the friction slowed the train down, the hulking machine coming to a halt at the station platform.

Only a handful of people emerged from the train, including a woman who stood out from the rest. She was around twenty-four, five-eight with an attractive face that accentuated her pale blue eyes. Her skin was fair and her hair was a strawberry blonde that came just to her shoulders with a feathered look to it. She was wearing a red tank top with a black skirt that came up just above her shapely knees.

She had a black leather purse draped on her shoulder as her black strap heels clacked on the tile floor, heading to the Timber Hotel for the meeting she was nearly late for. Her daytime job for the time being was a real estate agent for Midgar Retail, which she was planning on leaving soon. She wasn't sure what she was going to do, but she knew this wasn't her future.

She walked into the hotel and headed straight inside the lunch room where her client, Bombay, was waiting. "Rheika, it's so good to see you again," he said as he stood up, holding a chair out for her.

She sat down as he pushed the chair in. "It's good to see you as well," she responded, taking a deep breath as she prepared her pitch. She was trying to sell him the land where the Temple of the Ancients used to be, but the price he wanted was far too low.

"So have you been able to think of a new price for me yet," Bombay asked, getting his cup of coffee refilled. The waiter asked Rheika if she wanted anything, but she politely declined.

"I've been able to lower the price down to five hundred thousand gil, but that as low as we can take it." Rheika held her breath as she waited for him to respond.

Bombay held his face in a pensive look for a moment before releasing a smile on his lips. "That sounds much more reasonable. I'll take the deal!"

Rheika audibly exhaled, thinking, _that was easy! I wonder what he wants to do with all of that land… _

She stood up at the same time as Bombay, extending her hand. He clasped it firmly and shook it once, that smile still on his face. "Aren't I supposed to sign something?"

"Oh right!" she exclaimed, pulling out an electric pad the size of a television remote from her purse. She clicked a few buttons on it as it hummed to life. She switched it to the page that held the contract and extended it to him. "We'll also need you to pay at least half of it now…"

"I'll just go ahead and pay for it all right now, if that's ok," Bombay interrupted as he took the pad. He scribbled his signature on it as he slid his gil card through the side, the machine beeping in approval. He handed it back to her saying, "Pleasure doing business with you."

"Oh you as well," Rheika said as she returned the pad to her purse. She shook his hand once more and turned on her heels, walking out of the hotel. She took a left and headed toward the bridge that overlooked the train tracks. She leaned against the stone railing, watching the trains fly by.

She was so deep in her thoughts that she didn't notice someone lean on the rail next to her. She continued to ignore this person until he said, "It's gonna be a nasty day."

She yelped and jumped back a few feet, looking at this stranger. He looked around her age, but there seemed to be a kind of complex mystery for someone his age. His height was good, around six-one and had slim yet muscular arms and legs. He was wearing a brown sweater that matched the brown khaki pants on his legs. Even the boots he had on his feet were brown, the toes pointed out just a little. His hair was a sandy brown color as well, not too long but long enough to keep messy for a rebellious look that was helped by his hazel eyes.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you like that, though it is going to be bad." He kept leaning against the rail, watching the trains.

"You should be sorry. Didn't anyone ever tell you not to sneak up on people like that?" Rheika said, her pulse slowing back to her regular rate. She couldn't take her eyes off of him for some reason, though she was able to sense that he had a great power within him.

He ignored what she said, blandly replying with, "By the way, my name is Penton. What would your name happen to be?"  
She looked at him, stunned for a moment before replying. "My name is Rheika." She was going to say some more to him but was stopped by a large drop of water landing on her head. She looked around and could see even more drops of water landing on the ground.

Penton held out his hand to her, politely asking, "Do you want to go someplace that won't get wet?" He continued to hold out his hand as she blankly stared at it, the rain starting to pick up.

"Uh, yeah, sure," Rheika replied, grasping his hand. His hand was warm and his grip was firm, but there was a reassuring amount of gentleness in it as to not be intimidating.

Penton led them to an apartment complex, the door locked with a simple keycard. He swiped his card through the door and held it open for Rheika to get inside just as the rain began to pour down.

XXX

Seventh Heaven was busy, just like it should be on a Friday night. It was a good size bar, plenty of room for a hundred people in the front if needed, even including the seven pool tables. There were several games of pool going on along with a few rounds of darts, but mainly there was the consumption of all kinds of alcohol.

The chatter and noise ceased for a moment as the doors swung open, everyone turning to look to see who was entering. A man was walking in, but that wasn't why people stopped all of their functions. It was what he was wearing that was attracting so much attention.

This man was about six foot even, wearing white leather pants, a white button down shirt with a black shirt underneath and a white leather trench coat. Even the stranger's boots were pure white, completely unscathed. His hair was jet black and was cut close to his head, giving his face a professional look to it. He had a six foot long katana strapped to his back, the sheath jet black, creating a sharp contrast to the mass amounts of white on his body.

He strode casually up to the counter, sitting down on the stool and ordering a single malt scotch. The bartender gave him his drink as the noise picked back up, though some people were still unnerved by the huge sword on his back.

The people left him alone for a little while, but another man stumbled into the bar, clearly drunk, and slumped down on the stool next to the stranger. He gave the white-clad man a strange look before slurring out, "What the hell are you wearing, boy?" This man looked to be about forty years old, while the stranger was probably about twenty-two.

"It's really none of your concern, I'm just enjoying my drink," the man in white replied, his voice low but the sound was rich and full. He continued to sip the scotch, not paying attention to the drunkard who was becoming slightly more irritated.

"You got a name, boy?" The drunkard was getting even more irritated by the stranger, who continued to drink his liquor.

He held the moment for a little longer before saying, "My name, though it is no concern to you, is Yushara. Now please, leave me alone." The intoxicated man was getting pushed, hard, in the ego. He was puffing up his chest, trying to look intimidating. "I asked you nicely. Don't make me have to tell you to go away."

Those few words set the man off. He reeled his fist back and threw it forward, but Yushara clasped it firmly in his palm. "This didn't have to happen," Yushara said as he stood up, his coat billowing lightly. He walked closer to the man as he tightened his grip on the man's fist, adding pressure to the bones.

"Mister, please," the bartender pleaded, but his words were ignored Yushara. His eyes seemed to darken as he slowly added force to his grip, snapping the bone in his ring finger. The drunken man cried out as he slumped to his knees, several tears rolling down his cheeks.

"You should have just left me alone," Yushara said as he broke the bone in his index finger. The other man shouted in pain as even more tears rolled down his face. Yushara seemed to be enjoying the activity, taking a sadistic amount of pleasure out of it. "This could have all been avoided if you had simple gone away."

He toyed with the man for a few more moments before he snapped the rest of his bones to dust. "I'm sorry for the commotion, sir," Yushara said with zero apology in his voice, slapping twenty gil on the counter. He looked at the injured man on the floor with a smirk before he stepped back outside into the streets of Midgar.

XXX

Kaio was walking through the empty corridors of Balamb Garden, trying to do something to tire himself out. He had been having issues sleeping the last few nights, and since this Garden had no actual curfew, he was wandering around the main part of the school.

Kaio was a good looking individual even though he was only five-ten and sixteen. He had close cropped red-brown hair and gray eyes that seemed to shimmer in the twilight. Currently he was wearing a red polo shirt with a white t-shirt underneath with a pair of black jeans on his legs. His feet were adorned with a pair of Converse All-Stars, bought in from Kalm, and though it wasn't on him right now, he had a red leather jacket tucked away in his dorm.

He stopped by the elevator and sat down, trying to think of what he could do to get tired. He didn't want to go to the training room since he didn't feel like having something go wrong and have to wait until the morning to be saved. He couldn't leave since the night watchman was more alert than the one during the day, so his options were very limited.

He was stuck in his thoughts when he was bumped in the leg by someone. He looked up to see Zeo, his teacher and the first person that he met at Garden. "Still having issues? I told you to see the nurse about that."

Zeo was not an intimidating manta only five-seven in stature, twenty-four and looking it. He was currently wearing his SeeD uniform, his blonde hair and pale green eyes not matching the clothing at all. Kaio looked at him for a second before turning his head, saying, "I know, I just don't have the time right now."

"Yeah, sure you do. You don't have any more exams the rest of the year. As a matter of fact, you have the rest of the year off," Zeo said, sitting down next to him. Kaio looked back over to him, taking in a deep breath then letting it out slowly.

"I know. What I think I need is to go and do something, an adventure of some kind, you know?" Kaio looked at Zeo, who seemed to be contemplating what he had just said. Kaio had always thought it had sounded foolish for wanting it, but he knew that it may be what he needs.

Zeo thought for a few more minutes before saying, "You know what, you may be right. I have some weeks of vacation built up, so if you want to, I can take you out for a few journeys."

The look on Kaio's face was priceless, a look of pure shock on it. "Are you freaking serious? You'll travel with me around the world?"

"Yes, I will. All I need you to do is get your axe, some money and your jacket and meet me at the entrance in twenty minutes. Can you do that?"

"Damn right, hold on just a bit," Kaio said as he jumped up from his perch, running back to his room. He scooped up his jacket from the table he shared with his roommate, also grabbing his money card from his nightstand. The last thing that he picked up was the red case that held his Crimson Devil, the axe that he trained with from his first day at school.

He was about to leave when he remembered that he should leave a note for his roommate, Gil Radcliffe. They had always gotten along in the few years he had been there and was sure it would be the polite thing to at least leave him a letter or something.

He sat down at the table and pulled over a sheet of lined paper. He began to scribe his letter, telling Gil that he would be back in a few weeks and to not touch his stuff or sell it without his permission. It was a typical goodbye letter, full of the sappy things he was trying to avoid but he couldn't help it. When he was done, Kaio set the paper in the bowl that Gil used for breakfast every morning, hoping he would see it and not try to eat it.

He was back out in the front in thirty minutes, breathing heavily from the amount of running he had been doing. Zeo was waiting for him by the gate, letting the guard know what they were going to do. He looked over to see Kaio running to him, smiling as he told the guard, "See you in the fall." He clasped his hand on the shoulder of Kaio, taking a deep breath of the fresh air.

"I'm ready to go, are you?" Kaio looked to see that a scythe was strapped to Zeo's back. He had never seen the weapon that made Zeo such a capable fighter, and now he knew why he was so feared.

"I am all set and ready. I arrange a boat to take us to the mainland, so we should be arriving by morning in Junon. We won't be back here until the fall semester starts again, so say goodbye to this place for now," Zeo said as he walked through the gate to his waiting car. Kaio ran to keep up with him, looking around the pitch black fields. He could hear the sounds of some of the monsters that lived in the area, but he didn't care about that now. He was looking forward to doing something to break up the monotony of his everyday life.

_Things could not be going better,_ Kaio thought as he opened the passenger door, pulling his body in and slamming it shut behind him. He set the axe case in the backseat of the vehicle as Zeo got in, buckling up as he started the engine. The machine lurched forward as the small trek to Balamb Town began, Kaio fidgeting in his seat, unable to contain his excitement.

Zeo looked over at the teen, noticing his energy. He smiled to himself as his car rumbled forward, knowing that he was doing the right thing.

**A/N**: Please Read and Review, tell me what you liked and didn't like about the story and I'll work on it in the next chapter. Thank you for reading.


	2. Strange Events

Rheika looked around the lobby of the apartment complex, taking in her surroundings. It was a squat, rectangular building, probably only three stories tall with maybe thirty apartments. It wasn't run-down, but it wasn't exactly high-class either. It was completely enclosed, the rain unable to sneak inside and dampen the place.

Penton motioned for her to follow him, which she did willingly. She wasn't sure why she was so eager to follow him, there was just something about him that made him different. He seemed like a nice enough guy, but it was fairly strange that he was so willing to let him into the place he lived at, considering that they have only known each other for a few moments.

He led her up one flight of stairs, taking her down a long hallway, obviously to his apartment. The carpet was a slightly used green color, a few spots here and there, but nothing that seemed to be harmful or alive. A little boy with sandy hair ran by, no older than seven, being promptly chased by an eight year old with similar hair.

"Those are the Harris's boys. They tend to play tag up and down this hall, but they don't make a lot of noise and they stop after six," Penton said as he stopped in front of a door labeled 208. He fumbled a key into the lock, saying, "It isn't much to look at, but it's what I call home."

He twisted the handle and opened up the door, revealing his dwelling. He was right; it wasn't much. It looked like it was only two rooms not including the bath and kitchen, with the main living area right in front. She took a peek around the corner and saw a small kitchen containing the basics; sink, stove and refrigerator with plenty of counter space to prepare a meal.

"Well, go on ahead and make yourself comfortable. You hungry?" Penton asked as he removed his brown sweater, heading to the kitchen. Rheika was surprised when he did this, but he was wearing a brown t-shirt underneath the wool material.

"Um, no, but thank you anyway," she replied, stepping forward into the living room. The room was only twenty square feet, but it was a comfortable looking space. There was a squashy looking couch on the far wall next to a door, most likely leading to Penton's bedroom. Next to it was an armchair of similar design, an end table separating the two seating devices. On the opposite wall there was a small television set, a VCR resting on the floor next to it. There was on final door next to the kitchen, which could only lead to the bathroom, but she couldn't be sure.

There were two windows looking out into the heart of Timber, right now the view being obscured by the downpour of rain. Penton was rummaging through the kitchen, unearthing a half filled bag of potato chips. He walked out of the kitchen and flopped down on the couch, picking up the television remote and flicking the machine on.

Rheika moved over to the armchair and sat down, removing her heels as soon as she was down. She leaned back into the chair as Penton munched on the chips, watching the program on the television. He seemed to be content on watching the show, but he turned to look at Rheika, asking, "So, when does your train leave?"

The question floored her. "How do you know that I'm taking a train?" she asked, perhaps a little too indignantly.

Penton smiled as he said, "Your bag says 'Midgar Real Estate' on it."

The response made Rheika feel a whole lot less intelligent. "Oh, uh, well it's supposed to go at six o'clock, but my client finished early so I'm kind of stuck here for a while."

"That is true, considering that it is only noon," Penton said as he put down the chips, sitting back on the couch. He had not removed his boots and seemed content on keeping it that way. He suddenly seemed a little bit on edge, like something was going to be happening soon.

"Hey, this is going be another awkward question, but do you have a weapon on you?" Penton asked the question softly, like he was trying to make sure no one else was listening in.

She gave him a strange look, almost lying but deciding to tell him the truth. "Yes, I do, but it won't cause you any harm."

"You may want to get your shoes back on," Penton said as he stood up, crossing the room to the far door. Rheika was putting on her heels when he came out with a submachine gun, the make and model unknown. "What do you have on you?"

She reached into her purse, pulling out what seemed to be a piece of bone, but with a quick squeeze a solid blade slid out of the ivory. The blade was thirty-six inches long, the handle adding an additional eight inches. It seemed like a solid weapon, but Penton seemed to have some doubts on it.

"Can you block bullets?" Penton said as he slid the action, loading the weapon and making it dangerous.

"Some of them, I'm not very good at it yet," she said sheepishly. She was going to ask him another question when a loud pounding came from the door.

XXX

Zeo and Kaio looked around the darkness of Balamb Town, not a person to be found. It wasn't surprising, considering that the time was two thirty in the morning. The only place that seemed to be open was a tavern, but even its crowd was slowly thinning out.

Zeo parked his car near the docks and stepped out of it, waiting for Kaio to emerge before locking the vehicle. He looked around, taking a deep breath of the fresh sea air as he took in his surroundings. The dock was deserted save for the night boatman, who was sitting back reading a lengthy looking novel. The man was a typical looking sailor; big muscular build, scruffy face and clothes that looked like they would never be clean but he only looked to be thirty.

Kaio took a step forward and examined the title of the book, though it was a little hard to read. All he could see was 'Shephard's Epic', but he couldn't see who wrote it nor if there was anymore to the title. He continued to walk to the sailor while Zeo stood still, taking in a few last moments of his surroundings, knowing he wouldn't be seeing this place for some time.

"Are you coming?" Kaio said as he turned around just twenty feet from the sailor, who was now looking up the two young men. He eyed the large scythe on Zeo's back, shrugging it off and standing up and setting his book down on the stool he was sitting on.

"May I help you two gentlemen?" the sailor asked, his voice not high pitched but higher than one would expect.

Zeo took a step forward and smiled, saying, "My friend and I have some tickets to go across to Junon. I placed the call about thirty minutes ago I believe."

The sailor looked at Zeo for a moment, then exclaimed, "Ah, yes! Zeo and Kaio, correct? Yes, come this way." He led the two through the dock, which was very well kept, to a big boat that looked like it could hold around thirty people. "You guys are going to only have one other friend tonight. You guys know who Zack Strife is?"

Kaio's eyes widened when he heard the name. "You mean the grandson of Cloud Strife? Of course I know who he is. Is he here right now?"

The sailor, whose name turned out to be Karl, responded by saying, "Yes he is. He was passing through to go to Junon as well. I had to stop here and resupply and you guys stopped me just in time."

They all stopped in front of the boat, Karl motioning for the other two to climb aboard. "Where is Zack at, by the way?" Zeo asked as he took a few steps on the plank.

"He should be below deck. He was awake when I went to check on him a little bit ago, say hi if you want to, he seems fairly social." Karl said. "Much different than his grandfather, but they still look a lot alike."

Kaio could not believe how this was turning out. He was about to meet a legend's grandson!

XXX

Penton kept the weapon trained on the door, where the pounding had stopped for a moment. Rheika's heart was pounding so hard she thought the whole city could hear it. She kept her sword drawn out but was slowly easing her way to the window, ready to run if needed.

Penton's gaze set like steel as he watched the door, waiting for something to happen. He could here a faint beeping coming from the door, but when he realized what it was, it was too late. The door exploded in spray of wood and shrapnel, Penton ducking out of the way of the biggest piece. The explosion was followed by a spray of bullets that he barely got out of the way of.

He pressed up against the wall, looking at Rheika and shouting at her, "Get out of here!" She did as she was told and dove out the window just as Penton returned fire with a burst of bullets, ducking through the hailstorm into his bedroom.

She landed on the fire escape, nearly toppling down the two story drop. She looked around and found the ladder, extending it and flying down the metal rungs. She hit the ground and ran down the alley, but her exit was blocked by several people. She looked back and saw that the other way led to a dead end, but she ran to it anyway.

The people, all dressed in Galbadia-Shinra uniforms, ran after her, guns pointed but not firing, just as she planned. She got to the wall and without losing her momentum, put her heel on the wall and ran up it a short distance. She flipped off and landed behind the soldiers, planting her heel in the back of the nearest soldier. He fell as the heel stabbed right into his back, drawing a good amount of blood and a chunk of flesh.

She was prepared to fight the rest when she felt the muzzle of a rifle pressed on her back. She turned to face the soldier when the second level of the apartment exploded in a firestorm, the shockwave knocking the male soldiers off their feet.

Rheika took this moment to do something that stunned the ones that could still see her. From her back emerged a pair of dragon wings, thick and leathery with some strange symbols tattooed in the membrane. She flapped them once and lifted off of the ground, quickly flying away from the savage combat. She wanted to get back to Penton, but she could not risk getting captured or killed.

_I thought I was able to shake off those guys. How the hell did they find me?_ She thought as she flew away, trying to find a place to lay low for awhile.

She kept flying for quite a while, passing over Galbadia City and the Desert Prison. She made it to the Gold Saucer when she found a good patch of forest that could shield her from the authorities. She set down directly in front of the woods, taking a deep breath as she went inside.

XXX

Yushara watched from the top of the Gold Saucer as the dragon lady set down in front of the woods his brother had just emerged from. "This may cause a problem." Yushara mumbled, watching her walk into the woods.

_She could ruin everything, _Yushara said as he did something breathtaking. He leaped from his spot on top of the Saucer, letting the wind catch him. He manipulated the air, slowing his fall and giving him the resemblance of controlled flight. He lighted down in front of the woods, losing no time by following her into the forest.

He walked in a few feet before he felt the sharp point of a sword dig into his back. He smiled as he turned to look at the women, trying not to laugh. "I'll give you credit, you are resilient."

"Who the hell are you?" The women said as she kept her blade pointed to his heart.

"I am Yushara Samot, and you show some promise." With that, he seemed to wink out of existence and appeared a few feet away. "Come find me, if you think you can." Once again, he winked out, this time not appearing close by.

XXX

Rheika sighed as she weighed her options. She decided to find this mysterious man in white, unaware of the tapestry she was unfolding.


	3. Fresh Starts

Zack was sitting in the bunk room of the ship, reading a book on his bed in the dim glow from the electric book light. He could have had all the lights on, but he figured it was a waste of the ships power. Right now he was dress comfortably, just a plain white t-shirt and blue jeans, his long black hair pulled back into a ponytail. He was tall, clocking in a six foot one and weighing in at around two hundred pounds of pure muscle.

His face was what gained him the most attention, looking every bit of his thirty-four years and strongly resembling his father and his legendary grandfather. He hated the fame that came with it because everyone was holding him to well above average-standards. Even one screw-up could and would be used against him at a later time and it is always magnified to be worse than what it was.

Even with the unnecessary infamy, he still had his legion of admirers and fans, all of whom allowed Zack to continue on with his journey. The biggest downside of fame was that he never got the chance to stay in one place and just live. Everyone was expecting him to continue fighting every threat that arose with no questions.

He shrugged his thoughts off into a far corner of his mind, letting them fester like he always did. He knew that Karl was picking up some people, considering that they had received the supplies over forty-five minutes ago and had clearance to leave. He knew that Karl had a very big mouth and had told the mystery guests that he was on board; something that he knew was going to irk him to no end.

He set the book down on the bed and got up, slipping on his boots as he set his feet down on the floor. He set the straps in place and stood up, heading to the door that led out to the main corridor that led to the top deck.

He was barely out of the entrance when he saw his new shipmates; he was surprised to see a teenage boy and a man in his mid-twenties come down the stairs. He had been expecting a couple of fan girls or something going for a big shopping trip in one of the other countries.

The younger stopped in his tracks when he saw Zack, his mouth agape as he looked forward. Zack slapped a smile on his face, hoping that the kid would only ask a few questions without getting annoying. But even as the kid stared, the older one came over with his hand extended, saying, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Strife. My name is Zeo and my young friend there is Kaio."

Zack was taken slightly aback. He had never been approached in such a friendly manner by anyone outside of his family. It was actually a nice feeling, not being tackled for an autograph or something else that would have been totally ridiculous.

"Please, call me Zack. Mister is for old people and pets. Come this way, I'll show you where we will be sleeping," Zack said as he led them to the bunk area. He was slightly amused as Kaio pried his feet from the floor and slowly walked to where he was leading them.

He showed them the different bunks and the small library that was connected to the bunk room. "The captain sleeps in the main cabin on the upper decks, but naturally we don't have to go up there too often," Zack said as he kicked off his boots. He sat back down on his bed and began to read his book as Zeo made himself comfortable. Kaio was still staring at Zack, clearly amazed by the fact that he was sharing a three day trip with him. It was any boys dream to be with a living legend, especially one that was from such a prestigious line.

Kaio was eyeing a case that was resting underneath the bunk that Zack was sitting on. He saw the boy's look, asking him softly, "Do you know what is in there?"

He looked like he was going to answer he shut his mouth in fear of saying the wrong thing. He did manage to stammer out, "Is… that the…?"

"Yes, it is the First Tsurugi. Would you like to see it?" Kaio looked like his head was going to explode at the sound of that. Zack dragged the case from under his bed and snapped open the latches. He pulled the lid open, revealing the huge, multi-sword weapon, Kaio letting out a breath that he didn't even realize he was holding in.

Zack picked up the huge sword, allowing Kaio to get a good look at the numerous blades. He had a feeling the boy would want to see the sword in action, but there wasn't any room above or below deck to pull anything off. "I'll show you what this thing can do later, OK?"

"That's perfectly fine by me," Kaio said as he threw himself on the bed he had claimed. In just a few moments the entire day caught up with him and just as his jacket hit the floor, he was out.

Zeo calmly walked over to Zack as he put away the Tsurugi. "He really does look up to you," Zeo said as Zack clipped the case back up.

"I know. Hey, since we have a few days till we get to Junon, would you mid if I taught him a few things? It would do him some good for his studies next year." Zack wasn't surprised by the look on Zeo's face, so he continued. "I saw the Balamb Garden seal on his bag, so I figure I could teach him a few things that will impress his friends. What kind of weapon does he use?"

Zeo looked at Zack with disbelief before saying, "He is really partial to using an ax, well, one in particular." He motioned to the case that held Crimson Devil by the foot of Kaio's bed.

"OK. Tomorrow I'm going to help him out in his combat training."

**XXX**

Rheika staggered her way across what seemed like an endless plains, not a road in sight. She didn't want to fly right now just in case the air was being patrolled. Her heels were killing her feet, but she didn't want to take them off for fear of stepping on something disagreeable. Right now the only thing that was going for her was that the monster quotient seemed to be down today.

Currently, the thing that was racking her mind was how those soldiers had found her. She was being hunted by Shinra because of her wings were being considered a huge scientific discovery and she must be studied at all costs. That meant that she was going to be hunted down until she was found, killed and dissected to discover why she had wings.

Rheika kept walking when she suddenly felt her weight shift over to one side and heard an snap come from her feet. She stopped for a moment and saw that her right heel had snapped clean off, something that caused a surge of dismay to run through her body. She was unsure of how to go across this trek now considering that she tried to break the heels off earlier and failed miserably at the attempt. It was like the center of the heel was made of adamantium and she was using a nail file.

She took a look at her surroundings to see if maybe it was a good idea to remove the footwear. She could see the plains continued for about twenty miles, completely enclosed by two shear cliffs, but there was the faint outline of a building near the edge of her vision. Even though it may have just been her mind tricking her, she still decided that it would be worth it to take off her heels.

She pulled them off and tossed them aside, her feet almost yelling in pleasure as the pressure was released. After stretching out her toes for a minute, she continued to walk across the plains. As she kept going forward, she could see the outline of the building becoming clearer with a few more joining it. It seemed like a promising venue.

XXX

Once again, there was no one coming to the motel. Jeffery sat on a stool behind the counter thumbing through a magazine, pondering why he even bothered to stay in this rotten town. The town of Sterling had fallen far from the grace that it had once had, nearly almost everyone having moved away. Jeffery was one of the few people that stayed behind to tend the motel and the small bar that was attached to it. He regretted his decision to stay almost every day he sat on the stool, wishing he was someplace else.

_The old Midgar slums or even Corel Prison are better than this place,_ he thought bitterly as he turned a page with a little too much force. The page ripped clean in half, causing him to throw the magazine in a fit of anger across the room. It smacked into the door which did something Jeffery rarely saw it do anymore: open.

He was even more amazed when a very pretty, albeit dirty, woman walked in. The first thing that he noticed was that she was missing her shoes but she held onto a large oversize bag and two shopping bags from the ShinRa Department Store. She walked briskly to the counter, her bare feet making dull slapping sounds on the wood floor. She set the bag down on the top and popped it open, rummaging through it.

"I would like a room, please," the lady asked, her voice very clean and crisp. The motel offered only ten rooms, but they each had there own bath unit and one had a small kitchen.

"Uh, sure," Jeffery said as he got up and went over to the key wall. He picked out room six, the one with the kitchen, and set it down on the countertop. "It's three fifty a night, miss."

"That's all right," the woman said as she pulled out a wallet. She pulled out eight one-hundred gil notes and placed them on the counter, clipping the wallet back up and replacing it in the purse. She smiled as she said, "You keep the rest," picked up the key and walked to the room she had just rented.

XXX

Rheika stepped inside the room, closing the door as soon as she walked in and locking the deadbolt. She took a look at what she had to work with, sighing at the quality. The room had once been a magnificent thing, but in the harsh years it had become a mere shadow of what it used to be.

She could only see one other door besides the one that she had come in through, most likely leading to a bathroom. There was a small kitchen that had the basics; fridge, stove and microwave, everything she would need for a few days.

She set the bags down on the queen size bed and pulled out a large shoe box. She set that aside as she pulled out some of the clothes she had purchased, setting those on top of the box. _What I need to do right now is take a shower_, she thought, walking into the bathroom.

It wasn't a very big space, but it was good enough that it came with its own towels. They looked like they had just been cleaned just a few hours ago, giving Rheika a good feeling for some reason.

She took off her grimy top and skirt and tossed them into the trash, doing the same for her undergarments. She turned on the shower and set the lever to hot, steam rising in the room as the waters temperature increased.

After a nice invigorating shower and thorough drying, she wrapped a towel around her waist and stepped out into the main area once again. She pieced out the clothes that she had purchased, figuring out how to wear them. She had bought enough clothes to last her a few days until she could get out of this place.

Her temporary wardrobe consisted of two pairs of jeans and black skirt that would come just above her knees. Her tops were two green tank top shirts and a black blouse that matched the skirt, something that Rheika intended to use to hopefully get a vehicle a little bit cheaper. The shoe box contained a pair of black leather boots, with a three inch heel and a square toe, the top terminating just above her thigh.

She chose the skirt and blouse, deciding that she needed to get a vehicle now before she couldn't. She grabbed her wallet once again and counted out how much physical money she was carrying. "Eighty thousand gil, that should be enough to buy a decent automobile," she said to herself as she checked to make sure she had both her car and motorcycle license with her.

She was just putting the wallet away when she heard a knock at the door. She looked up at it, picking up the dragon bone and extending the blade. She pressed against the wall as she unlatched the door, keeping the blade hidden from sight. Taking in a deep breath, she pulled open the door and readied her weapon. A heavily wounded man fell inside, causing her to gasp in surprise.

"Penton!"

XXX

Sitting comfortably at the edge of the forest were the Temple of the Ancients once rested, Bombay watched as his team of woodsman destroyed and leveled the trees. _This is going to be a glorious area, I just know it,_ he thought as the trees tumbled down.

He stared at the blueprints that held the plans for his one hundred and twelve story building, the head of his company, the Organized Colonies. It started off as small law firm, but it slowly went off into politics and eventually into weaponry. It was a corporation by definition, turning a one billion gil last year, making it the third most profitable company in Alvaria. It didn't rule like a government, but it did own an incredible area of land between Galbadia and ShinRa.

Currently there were three true world powers; Esthar, ShinRa and Galbadia. The O.C. stood to change this by building this tower, set on the island right in the middle of their territory. It was only fate that made it the Island of the Ancients, something that would have made any Cetra very angry.

Bombay took a sip from his water bottle as he looked at the weapons blueprints. _Everything is almost set. _He wanted the tower done in four months, something that sixty years ago would have seemed impossible. Right now he had several ships coming in with all of the building materials that were needed to complete the task at hand.

_Soon, I will be ready._

A/N: Please, review. Sorry that it takes me a while to put up each chapter, but I do have a real life. I'll try for a new chapter once every ten days.


	4. Abrupt Additions

Rheika clumsily hefted Penton off of the ground, slowly moving him to the bed. She cleared off her debris of clothing and tossed him on the bed, the frame creaking slightly. She looked at him and gasped at the terrible shape he was in; his face was cut up and his clothes and skin were burned, most likely from the explosion in his apartment.

She reached into her bag and pulled out a small green ball the size of a large marble, clearly something that looked like it was made of glass. She knelt down at his side, gripping the ball tightly as she concentrated for a moment, an aura of green light whipping around her as the ball began to glow.

She placed her hand on Penton's stomach and let the magic flow into him. She only had this Restore materia at its second level, Cura, but it seemed to work just fine. The cuts on Penton's face closed up and some of the burns disappeared from his arms. She sighed in relief as the materia rolled from her hand and onto the dingy carpet.

Penton's eyes fluttered for a moment as he groaned, trying to sit up. Rheika put her hands on his shoulders and said, "Lie still. You don't want to move a whole because I don't know how much that magic cured you."

"Uh, sure," he mumbled as he rolled over onto his side. Rheika stood up, looking at his disheveled and ruined clothing. She scooped the materia off the floor, turning back to look at Penton again. She concentrated on the materia again and sent another Cura at Penton, his wounds healing completely this time.

She placed the ball back into her purse and walked over to the door again, opening it up to see if anyone had followed him to this place. She saw no one around but she did see what looked like a knapsack next to her door. She picked it up and was surprised by the heft that the small bag had, feeling small and large spheres inside the bags.

_Damn, how much materia does he have in here_? Rheika thought as she closed the door behind her and latched it shut. She set the bag down at the foot of her bed and sat down in the armchair resting in the corner of the room.

She sat for a moment when she realized that Penton was going to need some new clothing. Everything he was wearing had been scorched except for his boots, which were still in perfect shape. She dug into her purse and pulled out some money, standing up once again and taking a guess at the clothing size Penton must wear. She scooped up the room key from the nightstand as she headed out the door, heading back to the Department Store that she had visited earlier to pick up her clothing.

"I'll be back soon," she whispered as she walked out of the room.

XXX

Penton woke with a jolt, his body feeling renewed but still aching quite a bit. The last thing he remembered after he set off the Beta was being thrown from the apartment and landing just outside this town. He had no idea how he had gotten this far, but he knew that shockwave couldn't have taken him this far.

He sat up slowly, pinpricks of pain shooting though his body as he stretched his weakened muscles. The big side effect of non-Master Restore magic was the slight degrade your body had after it had been healed. It would dissipate after an hour, but it still hurt quite a bit regardless.

After he had adjusted to feeling what it was like to sit up again, Penton decided it would be a good idea to try and stand up. It turned into a fruitless effort as he nearly collapsed under the strain that he had put onto his legs. His knees struck the carpet with a dull thud as he placed his hands out in front of him, his breathing becoming heavy.

After resting for a moment, he tried again and barely succeeded at the attempt. After taking in a deep breath, he looked around the small room and found his bag of materia. He painfully bent to pick up the bag and poured the contents of it over the bed. The condensed Mako balls of varying sizes and colors rolled over the mattress, a couple of them falling off the top and rolling on the spotty carpet.

He looked over his choices and picked out his Full-Cure materia. He studied the green orb for a moment before deciding that he could wait out the time for his sickness to tide over.

He pulled off his burned sweater and threw it on the ground, heading into the bathroom as he stripped down the rest of the way. He turned the water jet onto high heat and stepped under the steaming water, the dirt and debris washing off of his body. Black water streamed out of his hair, flowing down the drain at breakneck speed and into the sewer system.

As the water streamed around his body, he thought back to when he was inside the apartment. He was shooting back at the Galbadian soldiers when he dashed into the bathroom where he had placed his materia. He grabbed his Enemy-Skill and activated Beta, destroying the entire floor of the apartment building. After that it was a blur; the feeling of being thrown around the world consumed his body as he had awakened outside of this little town.

After washing off, he turned off the water and stepped out, grabbing a towel and drying himself off. Once the excess water was off of him, he saw a bag of clothes sitting on the toilet seat. Apparently Rheika had gone to purchase some new clothing for Penton, which he was very grateful for. He popped open the bag and saw that she had purchased a pair of khaki pants along with a pack of socks, several brown t-shirts and a new sweater that looked identical to the one that he had before.

He picked up the heavy wool sweater and examined it, noting that the biggest difference of the two was the giant sword emblem on the back of it. He smiled a little as he put on the new clothes, taking off the tags as he went.

After he made sure it was all on right, he stepped out into the main area of the room again. He saw on the bed was a black leather purse with a pair of knee high boots at the foot of the bed. There was also a new box of what appeared to be boots that cut off below the calf, something designed more for walking than working.

He walked over into the kitchen and saw Rheika working on something in the kitchen. She was barefoot, wearing a black knee high skirt with a matching black blouse. It looked like she was cooking a lunch of some kind, grilled cheese sandwiches it seemed. Penton decided not to bother her and walked back into the bed area, sitting down on the soft mattress, the springs creaking lightly under his weight.

He had only been sitting for a few minutes when Rheika came out with a large plate full of the sandwiches. It was when she came in that Penton realized that she was a very attractive young woman, but he barely knew her. He did admit to himself that he had checked her out when he was next to her on the bridge. He was smart enough to know not to try anything with such a tense situation, but if she did anything…

He was snapped out of his fantasy by Rheika saying to him, "Oh, you're done. I see you found the clothes." She set the plate down on the nightstand as she sat down the armchair in the corner. "I hope it all fits well."

Penton looked at her for moment before responding, "Why, yes they do. Thank you very much for them." He stood and walked over to the stand and picked up a sandwich, devouring it quickly as his hunger set in. Rheika smiled at him as she reached over and helped herself to one as well, taking a small bite from hers.

The two ate in silence when there was a loud pounding at the door followed by someone shouting, "We know you're in there! Open up and we won't hurt you!"

"Damn! How did they find me?" Rheika said as she stood up swiftly and dove to her purse, getting out the dragon bone and extending the blade. Penton looked around for a moment when he realized he was without weapon at all, instead reaching for his materia instead. He grabbed his Ice magic and melded the ball into his arm, an aura going over his body as it became one with him.

"This is your last warning; open the door or we will come in by force," the same voice shouted. There was a pause which was interrupted abruptly by the door shaking on its hinges. It continued to do this when the door flew off the hinges by the force of the steel ram, but before the soldiers could even get inside someone dropped from the sky behind them.

Shots rang out as one solider fell, a clearly defined hole in his head. The person who shot the individual was tall, about six feet four inches and semi-muscular. Neither Penton nor Rheika could see his face, but he did have shoulder length hair that was pure white in color. He was also wearing blue jeans with a black t-shirt and a black cloth trenchcoat over his clothing.

As the soldier died, the white haired man reached out and unsheathed the longsword from the dead man's scabbard, holstering his firearm as he readied the sword in one hand. The remaining five soldiers turned to look at the stranger as they readied their machine guns at him, ready to avenge the death of their comrade.

They never got the opportunity to fire even a single round, all of them pausing as the blade of the sword began to glow with a light green aura. The man raised the blade over his head and spun it once over his head before he swung the steel down. The aura disappeared but in its place was five beams of white light that erupted from the tip of the blade, each one homing in on a soldier.

The energy beams pierced right through each soldier, the armor that they were wearing clearing not designed to withstand that kind of attack. It all seemed very easy, almost too easy, but Penton and Rheika could both not feel any more soldiers around the area. They did however focus their undivided attention on this white haired man who had just saved their lives.

He wasn't doing anything, just looking at the corpses when he ran over to the one he had taken the sword from. He unclipped the sheath from the body and hooked it on to his own belt, placing the sword in it as he walked inside the hotel room.

Rheika and Penton were flabbergasted by this action, neither of them reacting at all as he grabbed a grilled cheese sandwich from the plate and chomped down, his back to them. It was when he turned around when Penton nearly fainted; this man's face was very similar to his own.

"Who are you?" Rheika asked as the man continued to chomp down on his sandwich.

"I'm the guy who just saved your life, who else?" he said as he ate the sandwich. "But if you must know my name, it is Wind. Wind Samot to be precise and I'm that guys brother."

Penton was stunned to here this come from this man, but Rheika continued to ask him all other kinds of questions that had nothing to do with what he had just revealed. "What was that you just did there, to those soldiers?"

"Oh that was just one of my Limit Breaks, but I'll explain that one later for you. Don't you want to know about the whole brother thing?" Wind asked, a little confused that this lady didn't want to know about that. He finished his sandwich, wiping his hands on his jeans before saying, "We need to get out of here before more of those idiots show up. Come on, we can take the car that they used to get here. I'll drive."


	5. So It Unfolds

A/N: I do apologize for the long time between chapters, busy with life and what not. I hope it is of the quality you guys deserve.

Zack and Kaio had gotten through quite a bit in the boy's impromptu training, going over a few of the standard rules of fighting and casting magic while fighting. Zack had to admit, the boy was pretty good.

"Well," Zack said as the ships clocked chimed for noon, placing his sword back inside the case, "I think that this warrants a good stop time for lunch." Kaio did look tired and very sweaty, most likely since he was pushed quite hard.

Kaio was a late admittance into the Garden program, only joining two years prior when he was fourteen. He didn't have any formal training in weapons, but showed natural proficiency in using an axe. The one that he was currently using was handcrafted by him within his first week of school. He had been tinkering with it for quite some time, adding a few new enhancements to it or changing the look. He vowed that he would not be using a different weapon until the day he died.

That axe was currently being lopped inside its own case, Kaio wiping the handle down with a soft cloth. There was no doubting that Kaio treated it like his own flesh and blood.

Zeo was sitting off on the side of the ship in a folding chair, having watched most of the training, leaving once to get some coffee. While watching the training, he also had a rather foreboding feeling, that he wasn't going to be back to Balamb for quite some time. Even longer than beyond the fall semester.

He shrugged the though off as he stood up from his chair, cracking his fingers and popping his neck. He scooped the plastic chair up from the floor, folding it up as he prepared to head back inside.

He stopped short when heard the _snick _Zack's main blade open. Zeo dropped the chair and spun to see what had caused Zack to go to battle ready, reaching back for his scythe but his hands came up empty. He then realized he left it below deck, so he was going to have to face this threat unarmed.

What he saw though was something that was not expected; there was a man dressed in almost all white standing on the very tip of the bow. In his right hand was clasped a katana with a pure white jindachi-zukuri, the weapon clearly five feet in full length. His brow was furrowed as he scanned the three individuals, looking at each of them intently before moving to the next.

Kaio had frozen in fear, having seen this man just appear out of nowhere and was now locking eyes with the sixteen year old. His eyes then moved to Zack and then the man smiled, his mouth opening to speak.

"So, you are the one that I felt, even from across the world. You must have noble blood, do you not?" The man stepped down from the railing and onto the metal planks, his hand reaching for his blade. "My name is Yushara Samot, and I already know who you are, Zack Strife."

"What do you want with us? We have done nothing to you," Zack responded, his voice calm and even.

"Oh you haven't done anything, yet," Yushara said calmly as he slowly unsheathed the sword. The blade was the same color as pearl and was delivering a calming effect, emitting a pleasant aura. "I come here to deliver something, and you shall be my delivery boys. Failure to do what I ask shall result in your death."

"What do you want us to deliver?" Zeo asked, moving closer to be level with Zack.

"This," Yushara said as he stabbed the weapon into the metal deck a full two feet, "and a message. In ten hours you will find a man by the name of Wind staying in hotel in the town of Kalm. Tell him his brother has left a present for him and also 'The Wings are born again'. He will know what that means and you should probably say that first to get his attention. That is all you need to do for me."

As the last words were leaving him, he placed the jindachi-zukuri on the deck next to the sword. As soon as he let go of the elaborate scabbard, he blinked away from the ship.

XXXXX

Wind pressed the accelerator as hard as he could, the engine roaring in delight as the all terrain vehicle rumbled across the grassy field. He had explained much to Penton and Rhekia, but there was something about the woman that was bothering Wind.

"How did you not know that was a Limit?" he had asked her as they drove back toward Kalm.

She stared at him, wondering why he was bringing this up. He seemed prone to causing arguments about nothing and reveled in it. "I had just never seen one performed before, so I didn't know what it was."

Wind was not pleased at this response. "You mean you have never even performed your own? Ridiculous."

"Wait, you mean I can do one too?" Rhekia sounded incredulous at the statement. How could she have one when she had never performed one? "Well, how do I do one, if I can do it."

"Well," Wind said, pausing for a moment to pull the vehicle onto a road, now beelining to Kalm. "First, it requires a certain level of anger before the Limit will activate. You can hold onto it and keep it handy just in case, but it requires a lot of practice."

He returned his attention to the road, roaring down the dilapidated street. From what he knew, Kalm was still a nice town to live in, but it was not being kept up well by the ShinRa Corporation. It was completely self sustained with no outside help, living peacefully by the ocean. It maintained its energy independence by using solar power: there was an acre of solar panels next to the city. It was probably an excellent place to live, but right now Wind had no time to think of peace. He had work to do.

XXXXX

The rest of the trip to Kalm was quiet, mainly because Rhekia and Penton were uncomfortable around Wind. He did not seem like a person you would willfully engage in conversation and he seemed to be quite content with that.

Wind slowed the car down within twenty yards of the town, stopping on the shoulder of the road. "Get out," Wind commanded, locking his eyes forward. They did as they were told, slamming the doors behind them as they walked to the side of the vehicle. Rhekia opened the back of the van and pulled out her duffel bag of clothes, Penton reaching in and grabbing the machine gun he had taken from one of the dead soldiers back in Sterling.

Once they had gathered their possession, the van took off with a rumble that startled the duo. The van was heading straight for the ocean at breakneck speed. As they vehicle hit the sandy beach, the driver door flew open and out popped Wind, ducking his head as he hit the wet sand. The van collided with the ocean and sped out for a few feet before the engine died, Wind rolling on his back.

He stayed there for a moment before jumping up, looking at the van with a curious expression. A green aura began to surround him as he held his hand out in front of him, his trench coat billowing even though there was no wind.

After a second, the area in front of his hand rippled as the van was pushed violently through the water, skipping across it like a stone on a shallow stream. The gust of air could be felt for fifty yards in all directions, causing the approaching Penton and Rhekia to stumble. Wind turned and smiled at them, asking sarcastically, "I guess I should have concentrated more of it on the van?"

Penton looked at his brother, smirking as he said, "Yeah, I guess you should." As he said that, a horrible though climbed into his head. "My materia, they were in the..."

Wind pulled a bag off of his belt, dangling it in front of Penton's face. "Really now, you make it seem like a I don't notice my surroundings." He tossed the bag at Penton as he began to make the walk to Kalm, adjusting the sword on his belt.

Rhekia was the first to get along side him, asking, "Why did you wreck the van? We could have used it for whatever it is you need us to do."

"I didn't want it because it is a ShinRa van. I'm sure by now they have noticed the groupies they sent after you haven't reported in yet, so most likely they will have been tracking it. We can't stay too long, just long enough to rest and get a new ride. If we are lucky we may run into an airship captain, but I doubt that." Wind picked up his pace, not trying to outrun his group, but trying to get into the town quicker. He didn't want to cause these people any trouble.

XXXXX

Try as they may, Kaio, Zack and Zeo could do nothing to uproot the stubborn sword from the deck of the ship. It had gone in so easily, but it seemed that nothing was going to remove it from the carbon steel. Kaio payed the boat captain an extra fee to cover the removal of the sword and for needing to change course to Kalm. The man agreed to the fee increase and said that he knew some people in Kalm that could take care of the problem.

One thing of curiosity they found on their way to Kalm was a half submerged van floating into the ocean. It struck Kaio as humorous but to the two adults did not see the humor when they spotted the ShinRa logo on the roof.

Zack looked at Kaio as the ship pulled into the docks, sighing as he said, "This is going to be a bumpy ride."

Kaio's enthusiasm was broken by those words as the gravity of what they needed to do began to dawn on him. "It's what we all signed up for though, so you really can't complain."

XXXXX

The ship pulled into the dock without incident, Zeo paying his extra fee to the captain before they disembarked. "OK, first thing we need to do is find the man Yushara told us to find."

"That would be a lot easier if we knew what he looked like, " Kaio quipped in. "I mean yeah we know his name, but what are we going to do, ask everyone in town if they are named Wind?"

"Don't worry, I already have that part figured out," Zack said as adjusted his sword case on his back. "It's been ten hours, so that means he is already at the hotel." With that, he stepped onward into the town, walking right to the unassuming building, Zeo and Kaio right behind.

The inside of the hotel had the bare basics, but all Zack needed was to speak to the receptionist. The young woman behind the counter immediately began to only pay attention to Zack as he stepped up to the desk. "Hello Mr. Strife, what brings you to our fair town?"

"I was actually here to meet up with my friend Wind. He said he would be staying here and I was wondering if he had checked in yet." Zack didn't smile while he was talking, but the woman began to type into her computer as though he had just flashed her a smile to outshine the sun.

"Let's see... oh here he is. Yes he and two other people checked in just a half hour ago, but Wind went over to the tavern about five minutes ago, so he should still be there," the lady told them. Zack thanked her and also booked three rooms for them as well, since it had been quite a journey.

"I hope you guys don't mind if I go ahead and crash," Kaio said, snatching up the key to his room and darting upstairs.

Zeo watched as the teen darted off, looking back to Zack, asking, " Do you want me to come along or should I wait here?"

Zack thought for a moment before responding, "Actually, if you would find his companions and talk to them while I go find him. Meet up with everyone." Zeo nodded and walked over to the receptionist, striking a conversation as Zack unhitched his sword case and walked next door to the tavern.

The tavern was very busy, the working crowd having gone in for their post work drinks before heading home. Something Zack kept in his head was Yushara's jet black hair and was hoping Wind was going to have something similar. He scanned the bar, looking for anything out of the ordinary when he saw a peculiar individual sitting alone at the bar, an empty stool on both sides.

The man himself was the true attraction, what with his pure white hair and long black trench coat. He was drinking a tall glass of ale, nursing it like a lover. Zack smirked as he walked up to the man, pulling into the chair beside him; the white haired man made no move against him.

Zack didn't say anything at first, giving the man a moment before saying, "The Wings are born again."

He snorted at that remark, "Does Yushara think I'm that stupid. Of course they are, I'm here, he's here, Penton's here, and people call him the smart one... But that means he's already been corrupt..." He trailed off before turning to look at Zack. "My apologies for you getting dragged into a family matter, but if you excuse me I have to go kill my brother." Wind stood up to leave the bar, but Zack grabbed onto his arm.

"I wouldn't do that," Zack commanded. "You can't kill your flesh and blood."

Wind's expression turned incredulous, saying, "Now this is the part where I am supposed to think for a moment about the reaction to my actions and all that movie crap, but I don't have time for that. Now please, let me go so I can rid this planet of a pestilence." Zack did not let go but now stood up to match his height.

He was preparing his response when the there was a loud pound on the main door to the tavern. The door flew open as a tall, tan and muscular man stepped into the room, his boots thudding on the wood floor. He looked around for a moment when he spotted Zack, cracking his knuckles along with his neck. He pointed a finger directly at Zack, a grin spreading on his face.

"Friend of yours?" Wind asked as Zack let go of his arm. Zack shook his head as he now regretted leaving his swords behind. "Then it is so on."


End file.
